The binding directly to the gene element tells you a little bit about why they don’t get broken down as quickly (because they’re still needed), but it doesn’t explain why the responses are different speeds.
Thanks Lifeisaconstantstruggle for quoting what I’d said previously handy not to have explain things again and it can be hard scrolling through old messages!
Just adding to the already good discussion here: (This is from a VCE standpoint and the expected level of understanding required (at least I would assume based on some past VCAA exams))
1. The reason that the duration of the response in hydrophobic signalling pathways is longer than that in hydrophilic signalling pathways is due to the hydrophobic hormone-receptor complex promoting the transcription of a specific gene. Ultimately, this results in the synthesis of mRNA, in which can be translated MULTIPLE times over, producing many identical proteins until the mRNA itself degrades. This is unlike with hydrophilic signalling molecules which merely ACTIVATE (or inactivate depending on the specific response) already present cellular proteins - where these proteins are active for some time... then degrade and response ends... etc.
2. The reason the speed of the response in the hydrophilic signalling pathway is FASTER is due to the fact that hydrophilic signalling molecules only need to activate a specific cellular molecule (etc.) - key word 'ACTIVATE'. However, in the latter hydrophobic signalling pathway, the process of gene transcription, post-transcriptional modification, translation THEN response must occur, a much lengthier process per se.